Designer-approved items to dress up your holiday table

Entertaining over the holidays? Putting together a festive dining room table is an easy way to create a warm and joyful setting for your celebrations.

"In a world of haste, taking the time and effort to lay a beautiful table adds to the festive mood of any occasion and makes the event even more special," New York-based textile designer Michael Devine says.

Known for his hand-printed fabrics and fine home furnishings, Devine recommends a classic tartan tablecloth as a colorful base for your holiday table. He plans to use a red one this season.

"I wanted to do a classical Christmas that harkened back to Scotland and the traditions that have been upheld there for generations," Devine says. "Tartan prints are often passed down in families in the U.K. At Christmastime, I like to think of the generations upon generations that have come together to celebrate the season."